Why Can't I Sleep?

Hello, it's Eve here and welcome to this guided meditation. Thanks for joining me. Firstly, I'm really sorry if you find that you're frequently not able to get to sleep. Or if you wake up repeatedly in the night. Disrupted sleep like this can leave you feeling really debilitated. But secondly, this exercise has actually been designed to be done during the day. And, I know you might be wondering, well how is this exercise going to help me sleep? But one of the most common causes of sleeping difficulties is stress and anxiety. So this exercise is focused on helping you to calm the mind and the body in the day so that you feel more ready for sleep when nighttime comes. In meditation we're training our awareness. And by being aware, we can better identify that sleepy feeling which is the best indicator that the mind and body are ready for sleep. It also helps us to relate to stress in a new way. To put down the busyness of the mind which can help us to have a more restful sleep. And please know you're not alone in this. I know it can feel like a very isolating experience. But sleep troubles are more common than you think. Nearly one third of adults experience problems getting to sleep or waking up in the night. And I know it can be hard to make time for meditation in an already busy day. But perhaps try doing the short exercise either in the morning or maybe on a lunch break. I actually booked time in my calendar so I don't forget they're my meditation meetings. So people can't be over them. And it really makes a difference. So, let's get settled for this meditation. I invite you to take a moment to get into a comfortable posture. Feet grounded on the floor. Hands resting in the lap. This meditation is suitable for everyone. Whether you have never done meditation before or if you've done a lot. It's really a chance to put everything down and to drop into this moment right now. So beginning with your eyes open, not looking at one particular thing. But just taking in the space around you. A nice soft focus with the eyes. And taking a couple of big deep cleansing breaths. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. We're just settling into this moment. And with the next out-breath, closing the eyes if that is comfortable to do so. And feeling the weight of the body as it presses down against the chair or against the floor beneath you. Feeling those different points of contact in the body. Starting to become more aware of the physical senses. Perhaps notice what you can hear around you. We're normally so tuned out of our senses. We're using this exercise to tune in, to connect the mind and body. Gently bringing the attention into the body now. And taking a moment to...